America gives New York’s waterfront apartment developers a patriotic pedestal to showcase their works tonight.
When the annual 4th July celebration gets underway at 9 p.m., thousands of residents will flood rooftops and balconies, or just gaze through their floor-to-ceiling windows for their own birds-eye view of the fireworks.
And when those pyrotechnics pop, that mortgage payment or rent check will certainly give them their money’s worth.
“It’s a feeling of a community festival all day and when the fireworks happen, you have a ringside seat,” said Abby Gruen, a six-year resident of Waterside Plaza. “There are kids running around all over, getting their face painted, getting hotdogs.”
Every year, Waterside Plaza hosts a celebration that sees thousands of residents and their invited guests party on the East Rive plaza enjoying hamburgers, hotdogs and entertainment.
The former Mitchell-Lama housing complex has undergone a massive renovation that included improvements to its waterfront. And now with seats right under the fireworks, the celebration draws together all the residents and neighbors.
While the event takes serious preparation, the annual celebration is crucial to making the complex feel a small town community, Gruen said.
“It’s a huge effort and they don’t have to do this,” Gruen said of the management. “They could just shut it off and say, ‘Watch it from your windows in your apartment.’ Instead they take the opposite approach.”
While the Macy’s firework show will take place on the East River, the cloud-busters on the other side of Manhattan will be using their height to good effect, too.
At Hudson Yards, Related has drawn down its normally robust community programming for the summer, but senior vice president Chris Schmidt said the owner-operator will be ready for a surge of activity on Wednesday, both during the day, when its various grill stations are expected to be in hot demand, and at night when the roof decks and outdoor terraces figure to be standing-room only affairs.
“We’re overstaffing our buildings that day to make sure everything is in order,” Schmidt said. “We want to get as many people as possible out there to enjoy the show and that means being prepared for thousands of people rushing to the roof as soon as the clock strikes 9.”
From a city of supertall structures, we’ve selected a few where the 4th July will feel like it’s right in their living room:
To the north of Waterside Plaza, 50 United Nations Plaza offers an unobstructed view of the action.
Developed by Zeckendorf Development, the 43-story residential tower has 88 luxury apartment with tall windows that look right onto the East River.
Just blocks away, the 43-story condo at 685 First Avenue, developed by the Solow Building Company, features floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views of the fireworks display.
The recently-completed American Copper Building at 626 First Avenue will be hosting a watch party for their residents from 8 to 10 p.m. at their Skybridge Residents Lounge with themed decor and snacks.
Further inland, residents of Madison Square Park Tower at 45 East 22nd Street — developed by Continuum Company — ill be looking down on the action from 700 ft.
The building has a residents lounge on the 54th floor which is sure to be packed for the festivities.
For those outside of Manhattan still hoping to catch the show, buildings in Long Island City and New Jersey also offer their waterfronts for an equally impressive view.
The Citylights building at 4-74 48th Avenue and its apartment balconies already boast views of the river, but the residents also get access to the large outdoor rooftop space if they want to host their own viewing parties.
Even separated by the entire borough of Manhattan this year, The Avora in Weehawken, New Jersey, has access to a vista of showstopping sparklers set against the never-gets-old Manhattan skyline.
One luxury tower where the debate over East or Hudson River never takes place is, of course, 432 Park.
The third tallest building in the United States, and the tallest residential building, residents there will be able to catch the action out of any window.
Whether you’re in Manhattan, Queens or even Jersey, the fireworks show is set to kick off at 9:25 p.m. and will feature roughly a half-hour of the fiery flashes.
According to Macy’s the fireworks will come from seven barges along the East River between East 23rd and 40th Streets. For those not lucky enough to live in their own skyrise, there are five designated viewing locations along the elevated portions of the FDR Drive at Houston, 18th, 23rd, 34th and 42nd Streets.
— Additional reporting by Kyle Campell
